A good friend of mine binged the entire Air Awakens series in a weekend, and then proceeded to buy me a copy of the first book as a gift--I don't think recommendations get much higher than that.

The book was really good & a good intro to what looks like a bigger world and series. This first portion is definitely set-up and introduction, and it feels like it, so I'll probably be checking out the other books at some point.

Vhalla is our heroine, who goes from regular girl who loves her job in the library and books, who gets swept up into a fantastical world of sorcery and royalty as she discovers she's the last of the Windwalkers, and gets noticed by the Prince Aldrik (which of course gets her noticed by his brother, Baldair).

A lot of the book is pretty predictable, and a few familiar beats of the genre show up, but it's always in ways that feel good to read. The sorts of things you love seeing pop up over and over again in a fantasy romance (The childhood friend with a crush on her? Or the Prince she'd come to know?; Choose a life of magic? Life as a normal girl?; Everything comes crashing down just at the high point and things are getting good - of course.). Vhalla's relatable, and knows what she wants, even though sometimes she has a hard time saying "No" while trying to be considerate of feelings.

Her budding and building relationship and romance with Aldrik was great to read, and I grew quite fond of the Dark and "Evil" prince. They have good chemistry, and I do look forward to seeing their relationship grow over their future conflicts.

Though it's not all romance. There's quite a bit of world building with the Four Kingdoms, and the four major types of magic. I got some Last Airbender vibes from the series, but again, in the way of "I could read a hundred 'met in a coffee shop and fell in love' romances" and not the "Not this again" rolling of the eyes. The book puts its own spin on the world in a way that's a familiar set up, but also it's own.

I rather enjoyed it, and I look forward to the series getting a chance to dive into the War and greater world in the future.